Haven (Finding Home)
by Casey 'Flame' Wolfe
Summary: Vaako never expected his true mates to show up in Haven. Riddick and Johns had been searching for him for far too long to give him up to Dame Vaako. Explicit. Slash. Riddick/Johns/Vaako. AU- Shapeshifters.


**A/N: Well, this was actually spawned by a chapter fic I started working on- Haven. But Hellsbells begged me for a one-shot version that would fit in our "50 Ways to Kill Dame Vaako" series, so, here you have it. It's not the same plot as the full length story, though it has the same basic ideas of the shifter village, Vaako and Johns being shifters, Johns and Riddick being mercs, no Necros, and Furyans being alive and well. Hope you enjoy this version!**

* * *

Vaako growled in frustration, the noise coming out in a deep, guttural way. His so-called _Dame _was getting on his last nerve. Celeste, for what it was worth, was incredibly smart and cunning, and she was a great help with the day to day running of Haven, but she did not truly understand him. Vaako's fears that she never would seemed to have come true.

At the _suggestion _of the Council, he had taken Celeste as his partner, but they had never in fact mated, much to their leaders' dismay. Of course, they figured that Vaako would grow to love her and take her as his bonded in due time. They had gained a great ally in Celeste in the meantime- one that could help rein in Vaako's more wild tendencies. Sure, the Council may have officially ran Haven, but it was Vaako the people looked up to.

Haven, the shapeshifter refuge. It was a place they were all free and protected, and Vaako was one of those that did everything in his power to keep it that way. He was a skilled warrior, and despite being an introvert, he was one that many chose to follow.

"Vaako," a voice called, drawing his attention. It was one of his friends, Scales. The serpent joined him as he walked through the village which was situated into the cliffside like a maze. "Word from the patrols. The mercs who came sniffing around have fled back to the capital."

"Good," Vaako grunted. Their location deep in the jungle was protection enough, out away from the populated section of the planet. Lately though, they had had run-ins with mercs, no doubt hired by the planetary governments to attempt and sniff them out.

"What of our _guests_?" Scales asked, a sour tone to his voice. Vaako could not say he blamed him. In the midst of dealing with mercenaries, here was not one but _two _who had stumbled through their borders by complete accident, and had never tripped a single alarm or alerted any patrols.

"They are behaving I suspect," Vaako offered.

"Hardly," a new voice joined in. The pair stopped to find Toal leaning against the side of the hut they just passed. The jackal curled his nose a moment before offering, "They're up on the mezzanine debating on which one of them should jump from the 'falls first."

Vaako sighed, shaking his head. "I have my doubts that even they would try something so bold."

"Read _stupid,_" Scales added.

Toal shrugged. "Not so sure. Cats are notoriously insane." He smirked pointedly at Vaako, trying to tease the panther.

"And flea-bags aren't?" Vaako countered.

Naturally, Toal took it easily, laughing at his friend. "I have been a good influence on you I think." He pushed off the wall, jerking his head to the side. "Now, come help me with these two? Or shall I just let them continue to run amok? My men are at their wits end, chasing their tails trying to follow them about."

Vaako sighed, though he was smirking internally at the antics their two guests were pulling. "Alright. Lead the way."

* * *

Riddick gave an exasperated sigh, looking over his shoulder at the guards standing there, wound tighter than a top as they twitched nervously. He was sitting on the railing, not bothering a soul. What was the big deal? So, _granted_, the railing was on the edge of the cliff, overlooking one of the largest waterfalls in Haven. Still, it was no reason to be all panicky.

Johns wasn't being much help, standing back and laughing at the situation. He was letting his partner fend for himself it seemed. The blonde's laughter subsided and his head turned when he heard more people approaching- Vaako and his two friends. The merc had wondered when they were going to show up.

Vaako tutted, shaking his head at Riddick when he stopped beside the blonde. "Riddick, I'd appreciate it if you didn't purposefully try to cause your untimely end. I do not feel like coming under fire from the Furyan government should I have let one of their Alphas die."

Riddick snorted. "Ah, who gives a shit? Ain't like I've ever been home anyway." All the same, he did climb back over to the proper side of the rail, the guards visibly relaxing as his feet hit the ground. Vaako dismissed them, and the Furyan watched them retreat with a smirk.

"Causing trouble again, I see," the panther mused, not helping the smirk that came to his face.

"My fault," Johns admitted. "I know better than to bet the bastard anything." Vaako's attention was turned to the blonde then, and he didn't miss the way the tiger was so focused on him.

The panther hated to admit what those blue eyes did to him- or Riddick's silver orbs. The pair made him ache in ways he had never experienced before. Ever since that day they ended up in Haven, chasing a bounty that happened to be a fox shifter, he had both tried to keep his distance, yet longed for their presence. And for as long as the Council tried to stall them, deciding what to do with the criminal they were now holding, the pair would be sticking around.

Vaako understood what the Council was doing. They wanted to handle the matter personally- a member of Haven that had gone out into the verse, creating problems, and then leading outsiders back to their safe zone. They were hoping that the mercs would get tired of waiting for the shifter's release into their custody and simply leave. The panther knew better though- Riddick and Johns would stay as long as it took.

Although, Vaako secretly hoped it was more than just the payday that kept them there. That thought alone was enough to give the panther pause. What did it matter to him what the pair thought of him?

Sure, they weren't mated- they hadn't even claimed as much to the Council, which would have been the normal prerequisite to allow Riddick, a non-shifter, entry to the city. Then again, being a Furyan had its perks- their race made much better allies than enemies. For their reputation alone, no government would ever cross them- not if they liked peace.

"Y'know," Johns continued, a playful grin on his face, pulling the panther from his thoughts. "You should really keep a better eye on us. Never know what we're bound to get into next."

"Well," Vaako teased back, "if the two of you would simply behave, then we wouldn't have any problems, now would we?"

The blonde laughed. "But where's the fun in that?" He glanced over at Riddick, giving him a wink before moving a little closer to the other shifter, dropping his voice. "You could always _personally _see to it that we keep entertained and out of trouble."

Vaako felt his face heating up, the scent of Johns filling his nose. The tiger's closeness had Vaako's inner cat begging to mark. He felt Riddick moving closer as well, his aroma mixing in with the other merc's until the panther thought he would roll over right there. He had to force himself to take a step back in order to keep composed. If the pair had any idea what they were doing to him, they kept it to themselves.

"So, where are we off to?" Riddick asked, his voice a deep gravel that tickled the panther's spine.

"You assume I'm going to forgo my other duties and play babysitter?" Vaako questioned, the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

"Yup," they replied together, causing Vaako to shake his head.

"Very well then. I can't fight you both," he replied. He turned to his friends and bid them farewell before beckoning the two to follow.

"Where we headed?" Johns inquired, coming to one side while Riddick took the other.

Vaako smiled softly to himself. "You will see. It's someplace special." He didn't miss the twin smiles that statement caused, and Vaako didn't even care that he was sharing his last private spot in Haven with these two. Perhaps because he knew they would appreciate it as much as he did.

* * *

The space Vaako would go alone to think had been cleared of brush. It sat next to a small pool that was fed from the lake in Haven. He had never brought another soul there- not Celeste, nor his best friends. It was a space for him and him alone. Until now.

Riddick and Johns had followed right behind, and took in the secluded space. "It's very nice, Vaako," the blonde commented. Riddick nodded in agreement.

The Furyan had always preferred solitude, and until he'd started to run with Johns in the merc trade, he had mostly kept to himself. Johns, on the other hand, had never had much in the way of privacy, having grown up mainly on a merc vessel. His time spent with people outside his dad's team had been next to nothing. Riddick had had the opportunity to be with people, he'd just never wanted to- save for Johns.

"It's just a place to get away, that's all," Vaako replied, giving a slight shrug as he crouched next to the water. The panther sighed heavily then, his body untensing from the constant strain and pressure he was put under. Just being in this place helped to ease some of the burden away.

Noting how the other shifter was relaxing, Johns changed into his tiger form. The black stripes stood out against the almost gold of his fur. His tail hung low, swaying ever so slightly as he bumped his forehead into Riddick's hip, receiving a quick scratch behind the ear.

Without warning then, the tiger jumped into the cool water, splashing Vaako in the process. "Hey!" the panther protested, but there was laughter in his voice. Johns threw him a playful look, using a giant paw to send more water towards him.

Getting the hint, Vaako changed into his second form, green eyes a startling contrast against the pitch black fur. He gave a playful growl, which was a much higher pitch than Johns' deep ones, but still would cause anyone normal to give pause. It was a wilder sound, and seemed to ring true to a part of Vaako that he tried to hide among the others.

The panther pounced on the tiger, throwing them both into the shallow pool. They rolled around, all the while nipping at the other and holding on with their claws- albeit not harshly. Riddick was sitting on a flat rock, watching them with interest. It was times like these he admired the shifters, wishing he could take on a form like theirs so he could truly play without concern.

A blur of gold passed him, followed by a pursuing black. Riddick laughed, watching the pair take their game of chase around the clearing. Occasionally they would get a good tackle in, pulling the pair to the ground to wrestle a bit before inevitably doing it again.

Johns made a throaty chirping sound. _Happy, _it said. _Play._ Vaako's chuffing in reply said the same. However, the tiger's version of play may have been a bit different than what the other had in mind.

Pinning Vaako on his back, the tiger nuzzled their faces together, making noises between a purr and a growl. The panther wasn't sure how to respond, going completely still. It wasn't until a large tongue licked along his jaw that his unease melted away and he returned the gesture.

Two large black paws sat against Johns' shoulder, and Vaako's head rubbed along his neck, before moving to his cheek. Wanting to encourage him, Johns rubbed his nose under the panther's chin and jaw, before swiping the panther's nose with his tongue.

Vaako purred, but squeaked in surprise when Riddick moved into their space. The Furyan's hand fell onto Johns' flank, the other rubbing Vaako behind his ears. The panther couldn't help but let out a moan in response, leaning into the touch.

Taking advantage of Vaako's exposed throat, the tiger nuzzled it, enjoying the rich earthy scent he found there- fresh and clean, with the hint of wild berries. Johns and Riddick smelled like their profession- leather, gun oil- the former having an underlying sweet scent and the latter a musky primal one. Vaako, however, simply smelled free... wild.

"Change back," Riddick urged, hand running along Johns' spine. Under his touch, he felt the shift from fur to the cotton of the blonde's shirt. A few moments later, Vaako seemed to catch up, and fur became ebony locks that Riddick twisted his fingers into.

A moan fell frown Vaako's lips before he could stop it. Riddick's fingers rubbing his scalp, and Johns' nose in the crook of his neck felt so good. Though, apparently he wasn't the only one feeling so hot under the collar. The blonde was hovering over him, letting his hips fall on top of the panther's so he could feel Johns' own piqued interest of their current situation.

Vaako felt an additional face on his, as Riddick dipped his head to nuzzle into his hair. The blonde's attention was drawn to the Furyan, leaning over to run his nose along Riddick's jaw. The action caused Johns to press harder against Vaako and he gasped at the friction.

Hands slipped under the panther's shirt, pulling it up and over his head. While his neck was assaulted by licks and nips from both sides, Vaako felt hands undoing his pants. He yelped in surprise, pulling away a bit. His chest was heaving and he looked between the pair in confusion.

"Wh... What are you doing?"

"Having a bit of fun," Johns answered with an underlying purr to his voice. He slinked back into place, rubbing their cheeks together again. He could hear the deep inhale from the panther in his ear. "I'm not sensing a 'no' in that Vaako."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Vaako's hand came up and rested on the blonde's hip. Oh, how he wanted this, and there was no way of hiding it from the pair, not with the position they'd found themselves in. With a sigh, Vaako gave in, burying his face into the crook of the tiger's neck. Johns licked the edge of the shifter's jaw in response, rolling his hips gently.

Riddick gave a rumbling sound of approval, going up behind Johns and taking off the blonde's shirt before pulling his own tank top off as well. Skin on skin, the scent of arousal in the air spiked and Riddick growled in appreciation as both the shifters groaned.

Hands slipped around the blonde's hips, undoing his cargos. One disappeared inside, grabbing hold of Johns' erection, while the other started to undo Vaako's pants as well. The blonde's breath hitched before he moaned softly, moving his hips slowly in Riddick's hand.

Johns looked down at the shifter beneath him, meeting blown-out bright green eyes. The tiger's hands took over the duty of getting Vaako's pants off. Although Riddick wasn't making it easy, starting to rub against his ass. "Too many clothes," the Furyan rumbled.

In a flurry of wanting desire, everyone managed to get out of their remaining clothes, leaving all three kneeling on the ground. No longer hesitating, Vaako reached out to them both, hands traveling down their sides, feeling the planes of their muscles. Likewise, the pair of mercs took to exploring their new partner's features.

Johns threaded his fingers into ebony locks, pulling Vaako in for a deep, sensual kiss. The panther hummed happily into it, swiping his tongue over the blonde's lower lip. Riddick leaned in, starting to nip and suck on the pulse point of the panther's neck.

When the tiger pulled away he placed two fingers to Vaako's lips, giving him a hungry look. With hooded eyes, the panther sucked in the fingers, tongue wrapping around them. Johns moaned softly, causing the other shifter to grin around them. "Bet I know something else that tongue will be good for," Johns mentioned, smiling lewdly.

When Vaako let go of his fingers to reply, Johns pushed him to the ground. "We'll find that out some other time though," the blonde added. "I have other plans for you right now."

Riddick growled, having the panther pulled away from him. Though he couldn't help but smirk when he saw the marks he left behind. As Johns slipped a finger into the other shifter's entrance, the Furyan turned his ministrations to the blonde, nipping and sucking on his neck next. The tiger purred, leaning into his touch, while Vaako writhed at the pleasurable sensation when a finger was curled inside him.

A second finger was added and the panther groaned, pushing back against the intrusion. "More," he begged, drawing twin smiles to his partners. Riddick traded a look with the blonde, moving to be behind him. Johns withdrew his fingers, relishing the little whimper that fell from the other shifter's lips, before breaching inside of him.

Vaako half growled, half moaned, throwing his head back. There was a slow burn as Johns entered him, and when the tiger was fully seated they both were panting slightly. When he felt his body adjust to the shifter's girth, Vaako rolled his hips. "Move," he ordered the blonde, groaning when he did just that.

As Johns was moving in slow, deep thrusts, Riddick was placing firm kisses down his spine. His teeth scraped against a few vertebrae, causing the blonde to shiver. Smirking, the Furyan moved lower, tongue snaking over the tiger's opening. Johns sucked in a breath at the sensation, his thrusts faltering.

Riddick draped his body over the shifter's, whispering into his ear exactly what he was going to do to him, which pulled a guttural moan from Johns. Vaako pulled the blonde back to their position by pushing against him roughly and growling. _"Johns," _he demanded, receiving a particularly hard thrust in response.

The Furyan chuckled, watching how Vaako was falling apart and knowing he was going to make Johns become just as unraveled with what he had in mind. Riddick returned to the shifter's hole, licking it. The tiger made a wanting whine before growling and thrusting harder into Vaako's willing body. "Don't resist, baby," Riddick rumbled out, before diving his tongue inside.

The tiger's breath hitched, moaning despite himself. Riddick's tongue was stabbing into him with abandon, and when he started to hum, the vibrations traveled straight into the shifter. Johns was starting to come apart between the other merc's relentless assault, and Vaako writhing under him, moaning his name.

When Riddick finally mounted him, it only took a few deep thrusts before he came. His cry and the clamping of his muscles forced Riddick into coming inside him as well. The Furyan was panting, placing rough bites along the blonde's shoulder. "Beautiful," he murmured into Johns' ear, causing the shifter to shiver at the graveled voice.

Vaako still had a problem though and whimpered. Blue eyes fluttered open, meeting the panther's gaze. Johns smiled slightly before pushing against Riddick, who drew back to allow him to move. Pulling out of Vaako, the tiger grabbed hold of him and rolled, flipping their positions. "Come on, Vaako," the blonde invited, wrapping his legs around the other's waist.

Wasting no time, the panther sunk deep inside Johns' body, grinning when he made the merc moan. The hot slick left behind by Riddick, coupled with how close he already was, turned Vaako up a notch. He grabbed Johns' hips bruisingly tight, tilting them up more to go even deeper, thrust even harder, until he painted the blonde's insides with his own cum.

His head tossed back, Vaako settled onto his haunches, not helping the satisfied smile that crossed his face. He felt Riddick nestle up behind him, sucking marks onto the panther's neck. As he made his way up to Vaako's jaw, the shifter turned his head to capture the other's lips.

A satisfied noise drew their attention, and they both looked down to find a very contented Johns stretched out on the ground. "_We _did that to him," Riddick graveled into the panther's ear, traveling straight to his gut. The blonde gave a small purr, blue eyes blown out as he fluttered them open, a blissed expression on his face.

The very idea that he had made the other shifter fall apart like that was enough to spike Vaako's arousal all over again. Riddick licked a line up his neck, nipping at the skin behind his ear. "Come 'er, Vaako," he rumbled, pulling him back more until the panther could feel the other was already hard again.

The Furyan sat back on his haunches, sliding easily into the tight heat of the shifter flush against him. Vaako growled lowly, settling back until he was fully seated, earning him light bites along his shoulders. As he continued to roll his hips, Riddick enjoyed the wanting noises coming from his partner.

Johns surprised them both, crawling over to join them. He placed his lips against Vaako's pale skin, starting at his hip and traveling upward. He ended up at his mouth, capturing the other shifter's lips with his own. As he slipped his tongue inside, Johns grabbed hold of both their reawakening erections, stroking them firmly.

After licking along Vaako's jaw, the tiger leaned over, kissing Riddick. The Furyan growled into it and Johns answered with a purr. Riddick's grip tightened on Vaako's hips, digging his nails in, causing the panther to growl and moan as well. Thrusting harder, Riddick rocked the shifter into Johns' hand, setting a punishing pace as he pushed them all towards their second climaxes.

When they came, the trio ended up collapsing to the ground in a heap. Their lips found skin, licking and nipping paths along shoulders and necks. They traded sloppy kisses, limbs intertwining with the other. Each of them was sated and content, rubbing against the other, sharing scents.

"Mate with us, Vaako," Riddick purred into his ear. All the panther could do was moan, forcing his eyes to open. Both men were staring at him, completely serious.

Vaako should have thought about it with a clear head, should have taken his time. He should have considered the deep commitment that entailed, how much his life would change. However, Vaako did none of that. He had survived this long in life on instinct, and those instincts were telling him all he needed to know.

"Yes," he replied, giving a slight nod. His feline side told him everything. These two smelled right, and it felt like home within their arms. It was spoken into his soul- these were his mates- and he had no need to think about that.

Johns purred in response, hand tracing the muscles on the other shifter's abdomen. He was feeling the same pull, and he would be damned if he denied it. He and Riddick had always had a connection, but they had never mated. It had always seemed that something was missing.

The Furyan laid a hand on the other merc's hip, nuzzling into blonde curls. When they had met Vaako, so much was answered in practically an instant. When the combined scents of the shifters' passed through his nose, he felt something stir inside of him. This was what he and Johns had been searching for, why they had never felt truly complete despite knowing that their bond was the right one.

They were waiting for Vaako.

Now that they had him, they wouldn't waste any more time. Johns and Riddick had already spent too many days in the shifter refuge craving to touch, to mark. They wanted to possess and to hold, but there was no way to do it within the village, not when it had been made clear Vaako already had a partner- untrue though that false bond may be.

Riddick was never so glad for his tiger's silver tongue, drawing their panther away so that they could finally claim him. Vaako was all the more willing, which only helped to spike the Furyan's arousal all over again. _Soon, _he told himself.

Johns looked between them, the smell of their combined scents overwhelming his every thought. Still, he managed to question how they wanted things to proceed. When he received blank looks in return, he sighed. He reached out to each of them, placing his fingers to the skin between the end of the jaw and the spine. "Here?" he spoke, and both men nodded their consent.

With that settled, blue eyes pierced into silver. After a moment, they leaned in at the same time, tilting their heads in opposite directions to be able to bite down on the skin. It was painful, and Johns was the first to whimper, but he wasn't alone. Riddick's arm wrapped around his waist, supporting him, and he could feel a hand tighten around his wrist- Vaako.

The panther grabbed onto Riddick's wrist as well, noting the slight shaking of pain go through his body. Once the skin was broken and fresh blood rushed into his mouth though, Riddick rumbled in pleasure. The taste was as sweet as Johns smelled and there was an undercurrent of electricity running between them, rousing more familiar feelings deep in his gut.

As the process was repeated- Vaako marking Riddick and vice versa- they all felt the sensations strengthening, the bonds stirring and growing in strength. Vaako placed his brand on Johns, the electric current swirling inside them in such intensity that it felt like they were drunk. It wasn't until Johns sank his teeth into the panther's neck- the last mark needed- that the mating bond snapped into place.

They could feel it, the binding of their spirits as one. It was an overwhelming sensation, and all they could do was collapse against each other. As they caught their breath, the trio looked at each other, not helping the warm smiles that crossed their faces.

They were whole.

* * *

No one saw the trio until the following day, and when they saw them they understood why. Many were surprised to see the fresh twin mating marks on Vaako's neck, and that the matching marks belonged to the two mercs who had stumbled into Haven. Word started to spread through the town before they even made their way to the Council Hall.

The leaders of Haven had been shocked at the situation, though there was little they could do about it after the fact. All they were able to do was resign themselves that they lost Celeste's influence on Vaako, knowing they would have little luck manipulating the pair of mercs as they had her. They simply marked their mating bond into the official records- which were encoded and encrypted in case they fell into outside hands.

Leaving the hall, Vaako smiled over at his new mates. Now that things were official, he wanted to take them home. Although, that caused him to pause. "Celeste..." he murmured.

"What?" Riddick asked.

Vaako looked up and frowned. "Celeste. She'll be home." He didn't need to remind the pair of his and the Dame's living arrangements.

"Guess she's movin'," Johns put in.

"We'll help pack," Riddick added, a feral grin on his face.

The panther couldn't help but smirk at that, shaking his head. It wasn't a bad plan either.

* * *

While Vaako was out on patrol, Riddick and Johns busied themselves by causing general chaos as per usual. At least now that they were official members of Haven- and mated to Vaako no less- no one seemed to bother them as they had before. So, they were free to be mischievous. At least until the panther returned.

They didn't like the fact they couldn't go with Vaako, but their mate had told them to hang in there. He had to make some arrangements in order to get them on the patrol roster, and reorganize a few people so they could all be out in the same unit. The pair would be patient, but only for so long.

Sitting up on the cliffside, the mercs were out of the way, and able to goof off as they pleased without drawing attention. Though it seemed they were getting company whether they wanted it or not, in the form of the former Dame Vaako, Celeste.

She sauntered up to them, her smoky eyes holding contempt behind her perfectly masked facade. "I see you are not out with your new _mate,_" she mentioned, emphasizing her displeasure at the word. "Could it be he doesn't wish your company?"

Riddick snorted, not even going to rise to the bait. Johns, however, had always been a bit quicker to temper and he scoffed. "Hardly." He smirked then. "Though I guess you wouldn't know much about that." She wasn't the only one that could needle someone.

Her smile was anything but kind. "I know that he belongs to me, and that you... _miscreants _stole him." Celeste took a step forward, ignoring the twin growls from the men. "You probably forced yourselves on him, forced your marks on his neck."

The snarl coming from Riddick only grew. "Lady, you better watch yourself."

"Oh?" Her brown eyes became slitted pupils. "And what will you do?" When neither man reply, they watched as curved fangs dropped down, a forked tongue scenting the air. "I know... You can watch your pretty kitty die."

The change took hold of Celeste, and her body morphed into a giant serpent form- a green anaconda boa. She was at least twenty-five feet long with a frame of pure muscle meant for suffocation and outright crushing of her prey. And her beady eyes were set on Johns.

The other shifter changed, his claws and fangs bared as she struck, latching onto his shoulder. He howled out in pain while Riddick pulled a blade to slice at her. The snake's tail whipped him straight in the chest, sending him sprawling. In Johns' moment of vulnerability, Celeste started to coil herself around the tiger.

Johns dug his claws in, tearing at her scaled skin. Before his fangs could take hold as well, her body pushed his neck up, forcing his head away. She could have easily crushed his windpipe, but she wanted him to suffer more than that- she wanted to slowly crush him, and as she wrapped more around his body, that's exactly what she started to do.

The tiger's cries were muffled as he started to lose the ability to breathe, blue eyes rolling back into his head. Riddick wasn't screwing around anymore, pulling his twin ulak blades and starting to stab and slice at any area he could get to. He dodged more swipes from her tail, forcing the snake to let go of Johns' shoulder to strike at him with fangs instead.

With Riddick's barrage of attacks, Celeste involuntary loosened her vice-like grip. In her distraction, Johns managed to get free, tumbling along in the dirt. He got up, shaking off. He would get her.

The tiger changed back into his human form, going for his shotgun. "This'll fix the bitch," he snarled, leveling the weapon. However, Riddick was in his way and he couldn't get a clear shot. He started to strafe around in another direction, hoping to get an opportunity to pump some lead into the anaconda, who continued to strike with reckless abandon.

Riddick slammed into the snake, sending her straight towards the edge of the cliff. In a final show of defiance, her tail wrapped around Johns' leg a few times, yanking him off his feet. "Riddick!" he yelled, losing hold of his shotgun. Johns managed to snag onto the loose rock and dirt at the edge as he was being drug over with her.

The Furyan dove for his mate, grabbing his biceps. "Come on, Johns," he growled, trying to pull. However, even Riddick couldn't hope to pull the weight of both shifters up. He felt himself sliding towards the edge and gritted his teeth, digging the toes of his boots into the ground.

The blonde was trying his best to wiggle up while kicking at the snake's tail to get her off, but Celeste wasn't giving up. Grunting, Johns looked up into Riddick's eyes as he slid forward more, putting the tiger completely over the edge of the cliff then.

"Riddick," he spoke. "Let go."

"What?!" he yelled, grip tightening painfully hard.

"You'll only come over with me. Let. Go."

"Shut up dumbass!" Riddick growled. He continued to hold on, not willing to let his mate go for anything.

A body slid down next to the Furyan's, a second set of hands grabbing ahold of Johns. "Vaako!" the blonde yelled, not believing their luck.

"Pull him up," the panther grunted. "I'll cut him loose."

Leveraging himself onto his elbows, Riddick pulled back with his other mate's help. When he was able to reach, Vaako let go with one hand, pulling the knife at his hip and slicing straight through the snake's tail. With a screech, Celeste dropped to her death on the rocks below. Vaako grabbed hold of the back of Johns' pants, helping to haul him up to safety.

Both his mates were panting, collapsing onto the ground, and the panther kneeled next to them. "Are you alright?" he inquired, fingers tracing the already forming bruises and scratches on Riddick. "Oh, Johns..." Vaako has spotted the other shifter's deep bite wound on his shoulder.

"I'll be ok," he assured, though the panther wasn't having any of it. The ripped shirt was pulled off and Vaako's tongue started swiping over the bite in a soothing manner.

"What happened?" he rumbled out, looking between the both of them before going back to his cleaning.

"Bitch tried to kill us," Riddick replied dryly, crawling over to nuzzle against both his mates, glad they were all still there.

"Us?" Johns snorted. "She seemed particularly interested in _me_." He sat up, groaning as he did so. Damn was he sore, especially his ribs.

"I'm sorry," Vaako whispered, nuzzling into the blonde's neck.

"It's not your fault."

Riddick nodded in confirmation, wrapping them both into his arms. "Important thing is we're all in one piece." He looked at Johns, grabbing his chin, giving him a stern scolding. "And you_. _Don't you _ever _tell me to let you go again. You hear me?"

Johns nodded. He had only said it to protect Riddick, and he knew the Furyan understood that. They had always put themselves into stupid situations and done even crazier things to get out of them. That was not liable to change, although now they had someone else to worry about as well. Not to mention they were bonded.

Vaako nuzzled into blonde locks, taking in the tiger's scent, just to know that he was there, and he was alright, before doing the same to Riddick. "And here I thought it was a boring day out on patrol," the panther mused, receiving light chuckles in reply.

"Glad we could help," the other shifter snarked back.

Riddick shook his head, standing up. "Come on. Since yer done with your patrol, let's go home." Both shifters made contented sounds, allowing the Furyan to help them up.

_Home. It was the first time any of them could say they had one. It was a strange and wonderful feeling, to be surrounded by the men that they loved, to feel the mating bond thrumming through their souls. Yeah, they were home._


End file.
